Sex, pregnancy, and contraception have been hot topics for millenia. But it wasn't until the U.S. government approved the birth control pill in 1960 that possibilities for contraception changed dramtically.

The majority of women -- and plenty of men -- welcomed the Pill. Some women felt invested with a new sense of ownership over their bodies and futures. Many improved their control over family planning. Others welcomed a new sexual openness.

From the start, the Pill had detractors. The Catholic Church opposed it, only endorsing the rhythm method of birth control. Some African-Americans suspected the government was promoting the Pill to them as a means of limiting black population growth. And some women, dismayed by the Pill's side effects, protested the pharmaceutical industry's greed and indifference.

Explore a time of change through people's first-hand accounts of life before and after the Pill.